Devon Valley, outside Stellenbosch is a lot like Oom Sampie se Winkel, a wonderful olde worlde shop laden with surprises stacked on shelves and hidden in corners.
A sign outside the shop warns that only five schoolchildren will be allowed in the store at a time. The reason is obvious when you step inside.
Everywhere you look there are things to touch and buy, from jars of brightly coloured sweets to dried fruits, preserves, wines, clothes, hats, books and nicknacks too many to remember.
It's as if the owners had combined elements of an old Zululand trading store with the sort of tourist trap one finds in places like Pilgrim's Rest in Mpumalanga. A place which makes the eyes light up at the thought of discovering something wonderful, decorative and fun.
Devon Valley had that same effect of making my eyes light up at the thought of discovery, while my senses tried to get to grips with what was on offer.
Late bookings for a conference had the fortunate result that a group of us had to stay at La Verger farm's bed-and-breakfast cottages in the valley, described in a wine-route brochure as "one of South Africa's best-kept secrets". It has a magnificent view of the Helderberg and Simonsberg in the distance and of fields and vineyards, farmhouses, lines of trees and a farm dam.
The birdlife included waterfowl on the dam, with ducks floating between lily leaves, while guinea fowl scuttled across the grass and an eagle owl sat perched on a wall, waiting for the sun to set.
It'is an easy place to walk and feel surrounded by a benign countryside. The wine brochure describes it as a "valley for fine winemaking, positioned to capture the cool afternoon breezes off the False Bay coast in summer with most slopes offering early shade, while receiving bountiful rain in cold, wet winters".
Only five minutes from Stellenbosch, the valley is home to several wine estates including Louiesenhof, Devon Hill, Sylvanvale, Louisvale and Clos Malverne, known for award-winning red wines.
Feeling lightheaded in this valley makes sense and one of the temptations is the impressive J C Le Roux estate nearby, dedicated exclusively to making fine sparkling wine, using the time-honoured French method of making champagne.
A great place for a beer, which offers broad views of the valley, is the patio of the Devon Valley Hotel, run by Protea Hotels.
The hotel offers Cape country cuisine and - like many restaurants there - offers two courses for R85 or three courses for R110. On the night we dined there the linefish and mussel dish promised more than was delivered. The food was wholesome and the ambience cheery.
The winelist offers wine by the glass, ranging from some R10 to R15 a glass.
In the diningroom, a coachload of European tourists were enthralled by an excellent African choir who were dressed in loose-fitting shirts emblazoned with the South African flag and the face of former president Nelson Mandela.
September has been tourism month and South Africans have been encouraged to explore their own country and also to welcome tourists from elsewhere.
In Stellenbosch, including the folk of the Devon Valley, people need no reminding of how tourism can create jobs. For them it has become a way of life and they do it cheerfully.
It is a special place.